12 Fun First Day of Summer Crafts for Kids

The first day of summer is exciting, but it can also be a challenge to keep kids busy with something fun and simple. If you’re looking for easy crafts for home, camp, or the classroom, this list will help.

These projects celebrate sunny days, ice cream, beach vibes, and outdoor fun, all with beginner-friendly steps. Let’s jump into bright, cheerful ideas that kick off summer with creativity.

1. Sunshine Handprint Card

This craft makes a smiling paper sun with handprint rays bursting around a round center. Kids love tracing their hands and seeing their own “sun” glow, and it’s easy enough for a quick first-day-of-summer activity.

Materials Needed:

1. Yellow and orange construction paper
2. White cardstock (card base)
3. Glue stick
4. Black marker for face
5. Safety scissors

How to make it:

1. Fold a piece of white cardstock to make a simple card base.
2. Trace and cut out several handprints on yellow and orange paper; cut a yellow circle for the sun.
3. Glue the handprints around the circle as rays; draw a happy face on the sun.
4. Let dry and write a “Hello, Summer!” message inside; display on the fridge or classroom board.

2. Paper Plate Watermelon Fan

This looks like a juicy watermelon slice made from a folded paper plate on a craft stick, perfect for fanning on a warm day. Kids enjoy painting the rind and dotting “seeds,” then using their fan outside.

Materials Needed:

1. Paper plate (sturdy)
2. Green, red/pink, and black paint or markers
3. Jumbo craft stick
4. Glue or tape
5. Optional: clear tape for reinforcement

How to make it:

1. Cut the paper plate in half to make a semi-circle base.
2. Paint the center red/pink, add a green rind edge, and dot black seeds.
3. Glue or tape a craft stick handle to the back.
4. Let dry completely; add clear tape to secure the handle and use as a summer fan.

3. Beach-in-a-Bag Sensory Art

This craft creates a sealed sensory bag that looks like a tiny beach with “sand,” blue water, and shells to move around. Kids love squishing, sliding, and arranging the mini beach scene without any mess.

Materials Needed:

1. Zip-top freezer bag (quart size)
2. Dry sand or tan craft salt
3. Blue hair gel or clear gel with blue food coloring
4. Small clean shells or beads
5. Clear packing tape

How to make it:

1. Add a thin layer of sand to one side of the bag and blue gel to the other.
2. Drop in a few shells or beads to represent treasure.
3. Seal the bag and reinforce edges with clear packing tape.
4. Press out air and place on a table for squishy summer play.

4. Rainbow Pool Noodle Stamps

This project makes bold, bubbly circle prints that look like pool floaties on a bright summer day. Kids enjoy stamping patterns and mixing rainbow colors for a festive first-day banner.

Materials Needed:

1. Pool noodle slice (1–2 inches thick)
2. Washable paint in rainbow colors
3. Large paper roll or poster board
4. Paper plate palettes
5. Wipes or paper towels

How to make it:

1. Cut a slice off a pool noodle to make a round stamp.
2. Pour paint onto plates and dip the noodle end into a color.
3. Stamp circles across the paper, overlapping colors to create floatie “rings.”
4. Let dry and hang as a summer mural or party backdrop.

5. Seashell Salt-Dough Magnets

These are small, hand-shaped salt-dough disks pressed with real shells, painted in ocean colors, and turned into fridge magnets. Kids enjoy squishing the dough and choosing shells, and the result feels like a beach souvenir.

Materials Needed:

1. Flour, salt, water (basic salt-dough)
2. Seashells (clean)
3. Acrylic paint and brush
4. Strong craft magnets
5. Glue

How to make it:

1. Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup water into a dough.
2. Shape small disks, press a shell pattern on top.
3. Bake at low heat or air-dry, then paint in sea tones.
4. Glue a magnet to the back, let dry, and decorate the fridge.

6. Popsicle Stick Lemonade Stand Frame

This looks like a tiny lemonade stand turned into a photo frame for a first-day-of-summer snapshot. Kids love arranging sticks like a stand front and adding a cute “25¢ Lemonade” sign.

Materials Needed:

1. Popsicle sticks (natural or colored)
2. Yellow paper for lemons
3. Glue
4. Marker for signs
5. Photo or drawing for the frame

How to make it:

1. Glue sticks into a rectangle for the frame and add two “post” sticks on the sides.
2. Add a top banner of sticks and write “Lemonade” across it.
3. Cut tiny lemon slices from yellow paper and glue on as decor.
4. Tape a photo to the back and stand it up or hang it.

7. Sunprint Leaf Art

This craft makes bright blue-and-white prints using sun-sensitive paper and summer leaves or flowers. Kids are amazed by the “magic” of sunlight revealing shapes, perfect for a sunny first day.

Materials Needed:

1. Sunprint or cyanotype paper
2. Flat leaves or small flowers
3. Clear plastic sheet or glass (optional for pressing)
4. Tray of water
5. Cardstock for mounting

How to make it:

1. Place leaves on sunprint paper in bright sunlight.
2. Cover with clear plastic to keep items flat and wait a few minutes.
3. Rinse the exposed paper in water to set the image.
4. Dry flat, then mount on cardstock for display.

8. Flip-Flop Footprint Art

This makes a painted footprint on paper that’s turned into a colorful pair of flip-flops with straps and summer patterns. Kids giggle at the tickly paint and love decorating their own “sandals.”

Materials Needed:

1. Washable paint
2. White or colored cardstock
3. Markers or paint pens
4. Foam stickers or gems (optional)
5. Wet wipes

How to make it:

1. Paint the bottom of a foot with washable paint and step onto cardstock.
2. Once dry, draw thong straps and decorate with dots, stripes, or mini flowers.
3. Add foam stickers or gems for extra sparkle if desired.
4. Label with name and date; hang as a first-day keepsake.

9. Jellyfish Cup Lantern

This looks like a floating jellyfish made from a clear cup with ribbon or yarn tentacles and a soft glow inside. Kids enjoy choosing colors and watching it sway near a window or on the porch.

Materials Needed:

1. Clear plastic cup
2. Tissue paper or paint for tinting
3. Ribbon, yarn, or streamers
4. Battery tea light
5. Tape or glue

How to make it:

1. Tint the cup with tissue paper or paint for a sea-glass look.
2. Tape or glue long ribbon or yarn strands inside the rim as tentacles.
3. Place a battery tea light under the cup to glow.
4. Hang with string or place on a shelf for a summer ocean vibe.

10. Ice Cream Cone Collage

This is a big, cheerful ice cream cone made from torn paper pieces with sprinkles, a cherry, and waffle lines. Kids love choosing “flavors” and layering scoops high for a sweet summer look.

Materials Needed:

1. Assorted colored paper scraps
2. Glue stick
3. White cardstock base
4. Markers for details
5. Optional: glitter for sprinkles

How to make it:

1. Draw a large cone shape on cardstock as the base.
2. Tear colored paper into pieces and glue to build scoops and cone texture.
3. Add waffle crisscross lines, sprinkles, and a cherry with markers or glitter.
4. Let dry and display on a wall as a summer treat collage.

11. Ocean Wave Bottle

This creates a calming wave bottle with blue water and oil that swirls like the sea when shaken. Kids enjoy making their own mini ocean and watching the waves roll.

Materials Needed:

1. Clear plastic bottle with tight cap
2. Water tinted with blue food coloring
3. Baby oil or mineral oil
4. Small shells or glitter (optional)
5. Hot glue or strong tape for sealing

How to make it:

• Fill the bottle halfway with blue-tinted water.
• Top off with oil, leaving a small air gap; add shells or glitter if desired.
• Seal the cap with hot glue or strong tape.
• Shake gently and tilt to watch rolling summer waves.

12. Sunny Day Kite Windsock

This is a cheerful windsock shaped like a kite with bright tails that flutter in a summer breeze. Kids love choosing colors and watching it dance outside on the first day of the season.

Materials Needed:

1. Construction paper or light cardstock
2. Tissue paper strips or ribbon
3. String or yarn
4. Hole punch
5. Glue or tape

How to make it:

1. Cut a diamond shape for the kite and decorate with bold colors and a sun emblem.
2. Tape or glue long tissue strips to the bottom point for tails.
3. Punch a hole at the top and tie a string for hanging.
4. Hang on a porch, balcony, or classroom window and let it flutter.